


Facilis Descensus Averno

by sweetopheliac



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Bad Decisions, Blood, Body Horror, Dark Magic, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Drabble Collection, Headcanon, Horror, Horrortober, Mild Gore, Original Character(s), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Horror, Spooky, Violence, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetopheliac/pseuds/sweetopheliac
Summary: Facilis descensus averno;The descent to Hell is easy.Liliana Vess has never really been a nice person. Each step she takes in life only seems to bring her further down a much darker road. But the longer she lives, the less she cares. What point is there in being a saint? Is it not better to be feared than to be loved? Besides, even if she wanted to change Fate always has a way of placing her in the role of the villain. And in that case, she may as well play the role well. Somtimes that means things get a little messy.
Kudos: 6





	1. ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Unholy Hunger ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Her time on Innistrad had been going surprisingly well. She’s found mentors to help harness her power. She’s made allies in high places. And most recently, she’s acquired a rather nice estate. But to run such a large place she would need a bit of help. Living help would be the first thing anyone would think of. There was always someone looking for a job. Yet that came with it’s own issues. Humans were not always the most reliable. Loyalties and emotions got in the way along with physical limitations. That’s not even touching on the issue of having to pay the living nor the fact that really and truthfully they can’t be counted as an easy replenish able source. The dead though? There were scores of them, hidden beneath layers of earth. Their only purpose would be to do exactly as she said with no compensation at all. Granted, she could take the time and extra mana to make a small handful more sentient than others to function outside the hivemind of her control.

While she could probably just feel around to find some specimens, the easier option was to raid the graveyard. No one would notice if they were missing anyhow. Even if someone did she didn’t really care.

The dirt is soft from a thunderstorm the previous night which makes things a bit easier. There was little digging that actually had to be done on her part thankfully. Like flowers sprouting from the ground the dead arose. It’s been getting easier to call more and more of them at a time.

Her work is complete and she’s about ready to leave. But it’s a warm light coupled with the sound of fluttering wings that catches her attention. Liliana turns her attention to the intruder, sneering slightly. An Angel of course. She expected one to show up, what with all her dark dabbling going on. Though she had What annoying and disgusting creatures with their self-righteous attitudes and no minds of their own it always seemed.

Through the connection with her newly arisen servants, she can feel the buzz of anticipation --- of _**hunger.** _ How desperately they yearned for the taste of flesh. And with each movement their need grew stronger, their attention drawn to the holy creature like moths to a flame. The only thing holding back was her.

She’s merciful though towards her now loyal subjects; for she let’s go of the leash that holds them just enough to allow them to indulge their desire yet not enough to start running wild or even turn on her. As they are let loose, she still funnels manna to them, increasing their vigor and strength. The angel stands no chance. The sound of screams, clanging, ripping and wet squelching fill the air. Feathers scatter about and blood splatters the ground. The fight is valiant and she manages to destroy a few of the undead abominations. She’s no match for them however.

Liliana’s stood watching, unflinching, as the creature gets massacred by the zombies. Perhaps she should have looked away. No normal person would revel in such a show. It reminds of her of a time in her youth when she wandered into the kitchens back home in search of something sweet, only to come upon one of the cooks preparing chickens for that night’s dinner. What shakes away her thoughts and draws her attention from the scene is the glint of gold in the moonlight. She moves towards the object, bending down to pick it up. Through examination Liliana realizes it’s the creature’s headpiece. A simple design, forged in a beautiful gold and made to match the set of armor that has now been tarnished.

For a moment she debates on what to do with it. Slowly, the Necromancer places it on her head. When she does so, she feels a surge of pride and satisfaction. What a lovely accessory to have. And an even better trophy.


	2. ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Mirror Mirror ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

There's still no progress with the Chain Veil. Her options, ideas and patience are running thin. For the night she's given up, settling for a hot bath and several glasses of absinthe. Or rather several bottles. By the time she makes her way back to her bedchambers she's part of the way through her third bottle. Her mind is slowly being put at ease, and she's started to grow a bit tired. She sits at her ornate vanity to brush out her dark, damp locks. Atop her vanity is a variety of bottles; some of which are simple perfumes or oils while others are more in the realm of potions. There's three mirrors. The largest is in the middle with a skinnier mirror on each side, giving her the perfect view from all angles.

There's a pause in her motions, taking a final swig from the bottle of green liquid before placing it on the wooden surface right beside the blasted Chain Veil. By now the alcohol has taken effect. She's not drunk. That's what she tells herself anyways. Close to it but the buzz is quick to wear off, leaving behind a sluggish feeling. Little attention has been given to her actual reflection. That is until she's had to struggle with a particularly tangled section. A light glare is reflected back at her while she work to carefully resolve the issue with little frustration. She glances away for a moment to look down at the problem area. It doesn't take too much more effort till she's able to once again easily run her fingers through that section of hair. Her body freezes when faced with her reflection. Except the image she sees is not her. Not her pretty, youthful self that is. No, the image she sees is the one she so despised waking up to back in her 70's and 80's before her petition of her demon masters. Hair is white as cobwebs. Her skin looks thin as paper. Wrinkles of all kinds mar her features while dark rings paint her under eyes. In some places her bones are easily seen through the vein of fragile flesh. Even her eyes look a bit sunken in. This is the image of her when she could easily feel death's embrace growing closer.

"What sort of trick is this?" Liliana hisses. Angrily she turns away to look around the room. She's expecting to see that Raven Man looming about with a smug look on his face. But there is nothing. Not only is he visibly absent, but for once he's not verbally running her down. No taunts or teases. No haughty anecdotes or unsolicited advice. Absolutely nothing. With a huff, she turns back around and the sight she sees this time causes her heart to stop. Panicked terror washes over her. It feels like she can hardly breath. Looking back at her with milky, dead eyes is a rotted figure. Flesh barely covers some areas, hanging loosely and looking as if it will fall off at any moment. From the nose up, she recognizes her face. Maggots wriggle out of one of her ears. Below that her jaw hangs exposed, the skin above it hanging in tatters while only a few bits of meaty, decayed muscle cling to her jaw bone. She moves her mouth the slightest and a centipede crawls it's way out and across her face. That's not even the worst of it. Her guts hang out of her abdomen in a knotted mess, dripping with some sort of dark ooze while the flesh over her ribs is sunken in. Her arms are hardly anything but rotted muscle and bone.

"No!" she screams out. "No, no no! This isn't real!" Liliana stands up in a forceful rush, causing her stool to fall over with a loud bang.

Heavy footsteps come to a halt outside of her door, followed by a knock. "Mistress, are you alright? Yelling was heard. Came to check to see if everything was okay." Granted, it wasn't out of the ordinary for the lady of the house to raise her voice or lose her temper. In fact if such a thing didn't happen on occasion, that would be a sign of something being wrong.

Liliana whips her gaze over to the door, glowering at it. "I'm fine!" she snaps. Her erratic breathing has started to calm down. Hearing Gared's voice has helped anchor her back into reality. Her heart still pounds against her chest.

"Do you need a another bottle, Miss? Or perhaps anything else?"

She glances back to the vanity, relieved that her reflection is back to normal. Seconds later her eyes turn towards the half full bottle. Perhaps it was best to stop for the night. With a sigh she sets the stool back up and moves towards the door, yet she doesn't open it. "Water. A large glass of it. And an extra sheet."

"Right away, Miss." The sound of footsteps growing fainter indicate that Gared as has left with his task. No more than thirty minutes later does the hunched-back human return with her requested items. "Here we are, madam." Goblet of water is placed on her beside side table. She gulps it down in a flash. He starts to place the extra sheet on her bed yet she stops him.

"Cover up the mirrors." Liliana commands, moving a few well worn, lit candles off of the surface of the vanity lest an unfortunate situation occurs. When the task is completed she dismisses him. Her pacing comes to a stop and at last she can sleep. However, she sleeps on the side of the bed farthest from the looking glass. She's careful about the position she settles into, making she her back is not turned to it nor that it will be easily within her line of sight. Sleep comes quicker than she expected, filled with empty dreams.

Perhaps she needs to take it easy on the booze for a while. Surely, that's what the issue was.


	3. ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Buried Treasure ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Growing up she never had to worry about finances and what not. Now though she was on her own and had no family money nor influence to rely on. The issue arose from the fact that she had never truly worked a day in her life. Not to the degree most people did. Her apprenticeship with Lady Anna didn't count as a job for the simple fact that she had a bit more free reign in that situation than others. So she had tried to work in a small shop in Thraben. That lasted maybe two weeks before she grew frustrated and bored with the endeavor.

A better solution came to her one day as she was ranting her worries to one of her mentors, Lucien. At the end of her frustrated tirade all he did was laugh, fangs glimmering in the light. "My dear the solution is very simple. Take the wealth you seek." When she gives him a confused look he only chuckles again. "Look, you're a beautiful young woman. It's more of a weapon than you realize." He leans back in his seat, shooting her a quick wink. "You should use it to your advantage, if you know what I mean. But ah, not in Thraben. Too many self-righteous busy-bodies. Try Nephalia. Or anywhere that isn't Thraben."

She's uncertain about the idea at first, yet after a few times she became more confident in her method. Charm, seduce, and watch the fortune roll in. She received numerous things including jewelry and actual coin. The greatest thing she swindled was a whole estate. But of course it couldn't be that easy. No, the issue arose when the men started getting attached to her and started expecting more for less. Telling them off or even ignoring them didn't scare them away. The only remedy she found was to kill them. So now not only would she get a small slice of fortune, she'd get bodies for her necromancy as well.

That only led to another problem. If too many people went missing, it'd be suspicious. This problem she tells her other mentor about it over tea. Elsie and Vera roll their good eyes at the girl's worries. "Don't be so foolish, girl. You can never have enough bodies." Vera says haughtily. The tea runs like a waterfall down her rotted ribs when she takes a sip. "If you're so worried, why not just take from the dead as a supplement."

Liliana bites her lip, brows furrowing. "What do you mean exactly?" Her voice is soft and tiny as the question is spoken.

Elsie shakes part of her head (earning an annoyed huff from her sister), letting out what one would assume was suppose to be a sigh though it merely sounds like a mix of a groan and a squeak. "So naive. You're brighter than that." She sets down her cup only to pick up a spoon. "When you raise the dead or even dig them up," she says while demonstrating somewhat by scooping (or rather flinging) tea out of her cup. "You search them and take their goods. The dead have no use for all that rubbish anyways. What are they going to do with diamonds and gold and whatever else? Better you put it to use." The lich lifts her spoon from the dark liquid to reveal an eyeball.

"You already have that manor, what more could you really need?" Vera adds in with a bit of a snide tone.

The sisters are right though. She has a roof over her head and getting essentials like food and water isn't that hard nor expensive. That doesn't stop her from wanting more however. She's use to luxury in the form of fancy decor, beautiful dresses and really whatever else she wanted. There's always some sort of work or beautifying to be done around her newest home.

The next time she's visiting the cemetery, Liliana takes the latest bit of advice to heart. And my does it pay off! Gold, coins, jewels and more! Why would anyone bury such treasures with the forsaken? A mystery she's glad exists. There are no qualms about having to get up and close with the corpses which includes but not limited to: searching through pockets, ripping items out of stiff grasps, taking off jewelry and riffling through the coffin. Perhaps the act should bother her more. Morally, it's wrong to disturb the dead. However, she does that on a regular basis anyways. Not only that, for a majority of people just being near a cadaver was shocking, and even stomach churning. From the nauseating stench to the overall appearance of decay, it was enough to make anyone distressed. She on the other hand has gotten use to it. Maybe in the beginning such things bothered her. Now it's as normal as breathing.

Death was the cornerstone of her kingdom. It provided her with everything she needed. The living never seemed to realize what treasures lay buried beneath their feet. Such a thing is what necromancy such an unappreciated art. No matter though. That only meant there was more for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess weird headcanon, but I think Liliana wouldn't be above a bit of grave robbery. I mean if she's gonna take bodies for her undead armies, why not take their valuables too? Not only that, I don't think zombies or gore gross her out tbh.  
> Also since we never really hear about her mentors back on Innistrad I've kinda made some up. Lucien is a vampire of the Voldaren bloodline while Elsie & Vera are sisters that are conjoined into one Lich and are ghoulcallers. Another of Lili's mentors that I've made up is Lady Catherine, who is also a Lich but is also a Stitcher.  
> I headcanon too that Liliana's about 20 when she first planeswalks to Innistrad.


	4. ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Sweet Dreams ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

The swamp nestled away in the Caligo forest is just how she remembered it to be. The weeping willows line the banks while the cypress trees stood tall in the murky water, their knees peeking up through the surface. Moss hanging from the cypress branches sways in the stagnant breeze. Through the sound of croaking frogs and chirping crickets, she hears a light hum. She can't quite place it but it sounds familiar. Carefully she gathers up her skirts, slowly tip-toeing her way into the marshy water. The soft of floating orbs shines through the fog that dances about. Fireflies perhaps? Or even Will-o-wisps. There had been stories about if one wanders into the Caligo, they would find the will-o-wisps, and in turn find her on her quest to seek out her lost brother. A silly though interesting tale.

The trek through the water is calm, almost peaceful. Algae clings to the satin fabric of her dress. Every so often she'll see a frog or fish swim past her. At least once she's seen a serpent slither by, leaving ripples in the in it's wake. Besides the regular wildlife, in the back of her mind she knows there's cadavers that occupy these waters. The dead are everywhere. Seeing the headstones and marble monuments sticking up from and floating in the swamp only serve as a reminder. She can't help but wonder when the family graveyard became part of the mire. Once it had been just a woodland cemetery; quiet but marvelous in it's own way. Now though it was washed away.

It dawns on her that she knows not why she's taken this walk. As she starts to think harder on the reasoning, she feels something grab her ankle which causes her to stumble. She doesn't fall however. No, for from the muddy swirls of liquid hands start to grab at her and pull her back. She tries to scream but no sound comes out. She thrashes against the assailants to no avail. The corpses that take hold of her are people she knows she's wronged. Their faces unknown but in her gut she knows she's encountered them. She even swears that one resembles Kallist. Once they've gotten a hold on her she sees her family start to emerge from the shadowy depths. Her aunts and uncles, her cousins. Then her two younger sisters followed by her mother and father. They're all rotten and decayed to a certain extent. within their grasp they hold either lanterns or candles. Her father wears his normal scowl for a moment until his expression becomes uncharacteristically soft. Almost a pitying look. Before some venomous remark can skip from her tongue she is hoisted up. Her brother, Josu, stares down at her as he holds her bridal style. His eyes are the same dark void from when she accidentally cursed him.

"It's time to go, little sister." His voice rasps out. He sneers when she objects and struggles further. "You brought this on yourself."

Josu turns and continues through the water. Her family follows behind him along with the other undead. It's her mother that starts singing a hymn. Liliana immediately recognizes it as one of the songs they'd sing during memorials and funerals. It's also the same time she heard earlier. Soon everyone is joining in - even Josu.

It's a macabre procession that grows the further they go. More of the dead rise up to follow along. No matter what, Liliana finds herself frozen, unable to move. Anxiety begins to take hold of her.

It feels like eternity before they finally reach solid land. A few more feet and they reach a clearing. Gathered around are her current cohorts. Jace is the first to turn and look at her. His gaze is cold, uncaring. Chandra looks so angry she could either scream or cry or set something on fire. Nissa turns her nose up. Gideon is the only one that looks somewhat sorrowful. Liliana fumbles to find her voice to say something - anything! The hole in the ground catches her attention, distracting her. 

"Say farewell, Lili." Josu murmurs.

At this point the procession has crowded around the freshly dug hole. This is a funeral, she concludes. Specifically her funeral. Crows linger in the out lying trees. Their cawing seems more like laughter.

"No! No, no, no! Please! I'm not ready!" Liliana begs. Fear grips her heart. Adrenaline rushes through her veins.

It's Jace that responds to her. "No one ever is." His tone is as harsh as his expression. "You deserve it. You're the embodiment of everything horrible."

"Liar." Nissa hisses.

"Traitor!" Chandra shrieks.

"Murderer." Gideon spits.

"No! Plea-" her plea is cut off when Josu drops her into the freshly dug grave. She expects to hit soil. Instead she feels herself hit silk cushions. A quick glance shows she's now laying in a rather lush coffin. When she looks up she sees the eyes of her family, the Gatewatch and hundreds of others staring down at her. When she starts to scream the casket lid slams shut leaving her in the dark. Screams turn to sobs. The sound of dirt hitting the casket rings out. She can barely make out the muffled ring of a church bells.

Tears spill from her eyes as she pounds on the lid. It's to no avail of course. Liliana can feel herself becoming desparate. Her breathing becomes erratic, and she claws at the hardwood top; so much so her fingers start to bleed. The space is suffocating. Liliana swears she can hear the worms wriggling in the dirt around her. The air starts evaporate. Her breathing starts to slow. Her movements now sluggish. The only thing she can think about is her ever-growing melancholy. She blacks out and then ---

* * *

Liliana awakes with a loud gasp. Tears have dampened her eyes. Dark locks are splayed out with a few pieces sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her skin feels clammy, and the cool air only makes it worse. Light shines flits through the window illuminating the room around her.

It's the apartment in Ravnica, and this is her room. A portion of her belongings from Innistrad occupy the space.

A shaking hand reaches over beside her only to feel empty space. She untangles herself from the sheets before sitting up. She glances at the other side of the bed, frowning. Of course Jace isn't there. He's made it a habit to leave her quarters early in the morning before anyone could get suspicious. Granted, she figured they at least had a clue of what was going on between them. Even still she wished he was still here so that for a moment she could have just a little comfort and affection from him. A silly notion --- one that only makes her vulnerable.

Once dressed she makes her way down to the kitchen. She can hear that everyone's already gathered and chatting away. The chattering comes to a halt, and all eyes are on her. There is no malice in their stares.

"Hey, Lili! You almost missed breakfast!" Chandra says between mouthfuls of pancakes.

Jace tries not to let his composure falter much, yet she can see the questioning look on his face. Hopefully he doesn't try to probe her mind. If he witnessed her having a nightmare he doesn't say anything.

In fact, it's Gideon that speaks up. "Are you okay?" He asks. Brows are furrowed and a look of concern is evident on his features. "You don't seem too well."

"I'm not hungry. I've got some errands to run." A brisk reply. However, she doesn't want to linger too long.

The look of worry on his face switches to a small, gentle smile. "Alright then." he nods. "Just be careful and be back soon."

She doesn't reply. Instead she turns on her heel and starts a fast walk out. The sound of their conversation returns as if not interrupted.

Perhaps their company would have been the medicine she needed to calm her nerves. Yet looking at them only reminded her of their dreamselves. But why did such a thing bother her? She was only suppose to be using them! It seems though that she's grown attached to them. Much too attached. That made things more difficult; gave her emotions that would make things oh such more messy.

_**"One day they'll hate you."**_ the Raven Man taunts. _**"They'll despise you for what you are and seek to kill you, Liliana."**_

He's probably not wrong. And that hurts. Liliana knows better. Or should have known better. These fools have grabbed at her heart, each taking some piece.  
Even if that day comes, for now she'll savor their loyalty. Maybe if she tries hard enough she can change the tides of fate.

_**"They'll be your downfall. And it will be all your fault."**_


End file.
